Farming jobs still most dangerous

FARMING and construction continue to be the most dangerous jobs in the country.

While there were more work-related deaths in farming and construction last year than in any other industry, the overall number of people killed in the workplace was significantly down on the previous year.

Figures released yesterday by the Health and Safety Authority revealed that 50 work-related deaths were reported in 2006 compared to 74 fatalities the previous year — a reduction of 32%.

But the same industry sectors remained the most dangerous, with 18 deaths in agriculture and 12 in construction.

While the 12 deaths in construction showed a sharp reduction from the 23 fatalities recorded in the sector in 2005, the number of people who died in agriculture was unchanged at 18.

Ten of the agricultural deaths involved people over 65 years of age.

There were two children killed on farms last year and eight of the fatal agricultural accidents occurred in Cork.

The most common fatal accident triggers overall were fall, collapse or breakage of material (nine fatalities) and falls from a height (nine fatalities).

Five fatalities each were due to loss of control of machinery or loss of control of transport or handling equipment. Four fatalities involved animals.

More than 7,000 non-fatal work injuries were reported to the authority in 2006.

The most common triggers reported to the authority for all sectors were handling, lifting and carrying (32%), and slips, trips and falls (16%).

These have been the two most common accident triggers every year since 2000.

Health and Safety Authority deputy chief executive officer Michael Henry said that while the sharp reduction in the overall figures for 2006 was welcome there was no room for complacency.

“While the reduction in the numbers killed in the construction sector is welcome we must be seriously concerned that there has not been a reduction in the numbers being killed on our farms. Farmers are still taking chances at work and it is clearly not worth it,” he said.

He said the hope that the new Code of Practice in Agriculture, distributed to every farmer in the country in recent weeks, would be acted upon by farmers. A major media campaign promoting the code would be launched early this month.

Some €1.5 million has been spent on the new code and its associated campaign, supported by the Departments of Agriculture and Enterprise, Trade and Employment, making it the biggest single farm safety effort ever mounted in this country.

“We can reduce the numbers of fatalities and serious accidents on farms by using the code and making farm safety a priority in 2007,” he said.

Mr Henry said the figures proved the need to develop a national culture of workplace health and safety.